Liquid ejection apparatus and data transmission method

Abstract

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a transmission-side control device and a reception-side control device. The transmission-side control device is configure to: divide image data into a plurality of division data; add check data for error detection to each of the plurality of division data; and transmit, to a reception-side control device, each of the plurality of division data to which respective check data are added. The reception-side control device is configured to: receive each of the plurality of division data to which the respective check data are added; perform error detection on each of the plurality of division data, using check data added to the division data; and transmit, to a drive device configured to control a drive element, division data on which a process of error detection is performed, in parallel with a process of transmitting division data by the transmission-side control device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
 a transmission-side control device configured to transmit image data to an ejection head; and 
 a reception-side control device configured to transmit data obtained by processing the image data received from the transmission-side control device, to a drive device configured to control a drive element, wherein 
 the transmission-side control device comprises:
 a divider configured to divide the image data into a plurality of division data; 
 an adder configured to add check data for error detection to each of the plurality of division data divided by the divider; and 
 a first transmitter configured to transmit, to the reception-side control device, each of the plurality of division data to which the adder adds respective check data, and 
 
 the reception-side control device comprises:
 a receiver configured to receive each of the plurality of division data that are transmitted from the first transmitter, and to which the respective check data are added; 
 an error detector configured to perform error detection on each of the plurality of division data received by the receiver, using check data added to the division data; and 
 
 a second transmitter configured to transmit, to the drive device, division data on which a process of error detection is performed by the error detector, in parallel with a process of transmitting division data by the first transmitter. 
 
     
     
       2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the error detector is configured to, every time the receiver receives division data to which check data is added, perform error detection on the division data using the check data. 
     
     
       3. The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the adder is configured to add a horizontal parity and a vertical parity as check data to each of the plurality of division data. 
     
     
       4. The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the reception-side control device further comprises a data restoration unit configured to, in response to the error detector detecting an error in division data, restore the division data by performing a two-dimensional parity examination using a horizontal parity and a vertical parity added to the division data. 
     
     
       5. The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the second transmitter is configured to, in response to the data restoration unit failing to restore the division data, transmit, to the drive device, division data preceding the division data by one scan, instead of the division data. 
     
     
       6. The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second transmitter is configured to, in response to the error detector detecting an error in division data, transmit, to the drive device, division data preceding the division data by one scan, instead of the division data. 
     
     
       7. The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising the drive device configured to control a piezoelectric element as the drive element. 
     
     
       8. A data transmission method performed by a liquid ejection apparatus including a transmission-side control device configured to transmit image data to an ejection head, and a reception-side control device configured to transmit data obtained by processing the image data received from the transmission-side control device to a drive device configured to control a drive element, the method comprising:
 dividing the image data into a plurality of division data, in the transmission-side control device; 
 adding check data for error detection to each of the plurality of divided division data, in the transmission-side control device; 
 first transmitting, to the reception-side control device, each of the plurality of division data to which respective check data are added, in the transmission-side control device; 
 receiving each of the plurality of division data that are transmitted at the first transmitting and to which the respective check data are added, in the reception-side control device; 
 performing error detection on each of the plurality of received division data, using check data added to the division data, in the reception-side control device; and 
 second transmitting, to the drive device, division data on which a process of error detection is performed, in parallel with a process of transmitting division data at the first transmitting.